Islington Tribune - News: Splat! Raid grabs paintball weapon

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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 23 November 2007

Splat! Raid grabs paintball weapon

POLICE have seized a paintball rifle which is believed to have caused more than £35,000 damage to CCTV cameras.
Officers say the gun, which may have been used by more than one person, damaged six CCTV cameras on the Marquess estate in Canonbury over a period of three weeks in September. It was used to fire on a police car.
The gun was seized in a dawn raid on the estate last week.
Homes for Islington (HfI), which manages part of the estate, said vandals had targeted the lenses and motion sensors of the cameras.
The £35,000 bill covers cleaning, labour and repairs to the cameras.
HfI, together with Southern Housing, which owns and manages half the estate, fitted 11 cameras there earlier this year at a cost of £200,000.
HfI director of operations Doug Goldring said: “It is excellent news for the residents that the police have recovered the paintball gun being used to damage CCTV on the estate.
“CCTV is having an impact on anti-social behaviour and is important in improving community safety. HfI is working with the police and Southern Housing to tackle problems in the area and the police raid has already had an impact on anti-social behaviour.”
In the raid on Marquess estate police targeted five properties, arriving simultaneously for maximum effect.
A 19-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman were arrested at one address, both on suspicion of possessing cannabis and of handling stolen goods.
Officers found a stolen motorbike, hundreds of pounds of dyed notes from a cash-in-transit robbery and a small quantity of cannabis.
Police are making further inquiries following the discovery of the paintball gun.
Sergeant Andy Mariner said: “The operation was a tremendous success and shows units working together can have a bigger impact on crime.”
Sergeant Mark Rutherford, of Canonbury Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said the estate has been much quieter since the raid.
“I hope the seizure of the paintball gun will prevent any further damage to CCTV cameras recently installed to help protect residents from crime and anti-social behaviour,” he added.

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